After a hearty breakfast, in Dades Valley, we continued our journey to Marrakech. There were a few stops on the way.
Kasbah of Amredil – This is a 17th century kasbah still standing, well preserved, and impressive. It was featured on the Moroccan 50 dirham note. The kasbah also made an appearance in the 1962 film, Lawrence of Arabia. It is owned and maintained by the Nasiri family who live in one part of the kasbah. We just stopped by and took a picture of the kasbah from outside. There is an entry fee of about $8 US and takes about an hour to see the whole place.
Ouarzazate – In Ouarzazate, we first stopped by Kasbah Taourirt, a residential castle made of rammed earth and built in early 20th century. It is well preserved and a third of it is open for public to visit. It is worth an inside tour if you have time as there are other Kasbahs that are bigger and more authentic. We took a picture from outside.
Our next stop in Ouarzazate was Atlas Film studio, the Hollywood of Africa. Here we went on a guided tour and got to see the movie sets used in Cleopatra, Asterix and Obelix – Mission Cleopatra, Gladiator etc.
Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah – the largest Kasbah in Moroccco. Located in the foothills of High Atlas and A UNESCO world heritage site, this beautiful kasbah is the largest in Morocco. Built around 1000 yrs ago, this location is used as a backdrop for many movies. We spent a couple of hours here climbing all the way to the top of the Kasbah, to enjoy a panoramic view of the surrounding village.
We stopped to buy Tagine which was being sold on the roadside. A Tagine is an earth ware pot used to cook a North African dish with the same name.
It was in the evening that we reached Marrakech, a large city and perhaps the most famous of the cities in Morocco, attracting a lot of tourists.